Sweet Child of Mine
by shawn-n-belle
Summary: Alison didn't expect any of this: a dead sister, a psycho husband, or to be pregnant with her best friend/ childhood sweetheart, Emily Field's, baby. She doesn't know anything about babies, except maybe, just maybe, this baby might be her happy ever after. AU Season 7
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Alison always knew that Emily would come back for her. Somewhere in the chaotic mess of her own thoughts, she knew that the girl would somehow swoop in, leather jacket, white horse and all, and would save her from this mess that her psychotic soon to be ex husband has put her in. She knew Emily would save her- because she always did.

But when the days grew shorter and the nights grew longer, and Emily didn't show up, her hope began to fade. When the nurses kept pushing the medication through her veins and Alison could count the amount of times her eyelashes brushed her cheeks, she wondered if maybe their story had been wrong. When the nurses removed her mask, and told her to just rest, she began to wonder if she would ever open her eyes and see her best friend's beautiful smile looking back at her.

Maybe Elliot had gotten to her too.

Maybe he killed her, just like he killed Charlotte.

Maybe she had been the reason that the person that she loves the most in the world isn't answering her cries- because she had loved her so much, she had hurt her in the worst possible way.

She would never admit that, however. She would never admit that every fiber in her being was irrevocably in love with Emily Fields, and had been since the day that she agreed to run away to Paris with her, no questions asked. She would never admit that the second that she saw Emily in Rosewood, it was like she suddenly remembered how to breathe, and how her world managed to turn into familiar, comfortable colors. She would never admit that every time Emily's hand brushes against her own, or those long eyelashes blink in her direction, or Emily's lips twist in that all too familiar smirk, that the butterflies in Alison's stomach nearly lift her off the ground. She could never admit that every time the two share a kiss, her world manages to stop spinning on it's axis and she is consumed in everything that is the dark skinned beauty.

She had tried to tell her a handful of times, however, just how she felt about her. Like the night the two comforted one another with stolen kisses and her screaming Emily's name all throughout the night. Or those weekends that she flew out to California and spent the whole time twisted up in those blankets with Emily, a variety of curses and please don't stop falling from her lips. She wanted to tell her the second that she saw her back in Rosewood due to Alison's very own request. Yet, every time she opened her mouth to say something to her, her tongue felt so thick that she nearly choked on it. Telling her those true feelings would change everything and for once, Alison just needs a constant.

Her whole life has been such a chaotic mess- always being on the run, her shitty parents, her brother's alcoholism, her possible sister, she just needed something solid- something unwavering and constant. She needed a solace, a safe place, a comforting, unchanging thing that she knew that she could always count on. Unfortunately for her heart, her mind had chosen that person to be Emily.

Perhaps that's why she spends her days waiting on her to walk back in her door. Her days filled with nausea (but with all of her psychotic drugs that are constantly pumping in her system Alison is surprised that her hair isn't falling out), filled with misplaced hope, and wandering heartbeats. Emily was her solace and she would come for her, even if it had been two long months since she watched her husband go through her best friend's windshield and helped them bury his body.

"Miss DiLaurentis?" Honestly Alison's been there so long that she doesn't even have to look up to know that it's Nurse Jordan standing in her doorway. However, she glances up anyway, her blue eyes meeting Jordan's soft green and she flashes a smile her way.

"Hey Jordan. Let me guess, it's time for my antidepressants?" She smirks and Jordan laughs with a simple shake of her head. Sure, Welby had been hell for Alison, but she had to admit, she had found somewhat of a friend in Jordan. She had graduated a few years earlier than Alison and had only recently returned to the area, so she didn't exactly stare at her like she was the dead girl, or the one with the dead sister.

"Actually, you're being released," Another voice calls out, and Alison's heart is suddenly in her throat at the sound of the melody. Appearing around the corner, in the same black leather jacket that the blonde had daydreamed her in, is Emily Fields, with a bright smile plastered upon her face.

"Em?" whispers Alison, a smile playing upon the edges of her lips.

"Yeah, as it turns out, your girlfriend is very persuasive. She bought in some of the best lawyers and threatened to sue the hell out of Welby for keeping you in here when you're in a clear mental state," Jordan states, watching as Emily sheds the jacket and sits on the edge of the bed beside of the blonde. Her hand nearly swallows Alison's hand whole when she laces their fingers together and Alison wonders how one person can be so perfect.

"Wow! But she's not my-" Alison begins but Emily squeezes her hand, almost immediately cutting her off.

"I went to the president and told him that I would sue his ass off if he didn't let you come home where you belong. I told him what Toby discovered about Archer, and that I would sue him for malpractice if he didn't let you go. He wanted to go a mental evaluation of you himself. But, Jordan here, managed to convince him otherwise," Emily winks at the nurse, who is now slowly taking the IV out of Alison's arm, smiling down at her friend.

"Dr. Rollins, while placing you in here by stating that you were insane, actually never treated you for any of the disorders that he claimed you had," Jordan begins, slowly removing the needle and Alison winces, which is quickly matched with a hushed apology from both of the women, "he had actually been giving you stimulants, which caused your exhaustion and your delusions. And the rest of the time, he was ordering that we give you placebos. You were never actually under any serious medication." Alison feels Emily's hand squeeze hers in reassurance, but honestly, her brain is too busy spinning in a thousand different directions. All the months that she had been in here; all those stupid visions of her mother, and Holbrook, had been self inflicted.

"So, I wasn't actually crazy?" Alison asked, watching as Jordan untied some of the restraints that had once held her down. Smiling softly at her patient, Jordan allows a hand to push Alison's hair away from her face- something that does not go unnoticed by Emily who coughs in annoyance.

"No, Ali. You most certainly are not crazy," Emily hums, her thumb softly brushing across the blonde's. The swimmer swears that it is nearly instantaneous, the way that the smile immediately appears on Alison's face, and the light flickers in her eyes again.

"So, I'm... I'm normal?" The way that Alison asks the question nearly breaks everyone's heart. It is almost as if she's too afraid to believe it- too afraid to believe that maybe, this once, everything was finally going to work out in her favor.

"Well, as normal as a girl who returned from the dead can be!" Jordan jokes, tapping Alison on the shoulder as she finally releases her.

The next few seconds play out just like Alison had dreamed it. Emily slowly stands up, extending her hand to help the blonde from the bed. However, Alison just simply stares at her, her head slightly tilted as she takes in the view before her. The view of the beautiful girl, whose white t shirt manages to hug her in all the right places- the view of the girl who once again, despite rhyme or reason, managed to save her. Instantly, Alison is on her elbows, and then somehow, she's in Emily's arms, her legs wrapped around her waist and her arms tight around her neck. The sobs escape from her chapped lips and into Emily's neck, as the all too familiar scent fills her nostrils, and Emily's gentle lips place chaste kisses upon her head. And Jordan swears, the way that the light gently frames Emily's face, and the way that Alison is laced around her, is something better than a happy ending to her favorite romantic comedy.

"You did it." Alison cries as Emily slowly sits her down, watery brown eyes staring into her own. Smiling warmly, the taller woman gently slides her thumbs under Alison's cheeks, brushing away the tears.

"No, Ali. We did it. All of us. Spencer, Aria, Hanna, Caleb, Toby, Jordan, and even you. We all saved you," Emily whispers, staring so lovingly at the young woman that it is almost as if she would break before her very eyes. Chewing on the inside of her jaw, however, Alison shakes her head violently, lacing her fingers behind Emily's neck.

"No. You saved me. You were the one that brought me in here, and I didn't listen to you. You begged me not to sign myself in because you knew. You knew that I wasn't crazy. You held me that night at the church and you told me that you were real, that we were real and I didn't believe you," Alison's voice cracks as a new onset of tears begin falling from her eyes, "but you never gave up on me and now you're here. And you're going to take me home. You saved me, Em. Just like you always do." The last part is a whisper but it's just enough to meet the dark haired woman's ears. Smiling warmly, she gently rests her forehead against Alison's as she stares into her eyes.

And for a moment, everything just seems so... Ordinary. For one small moment in time, it was if there had been no A, no dollhouse, no Charlotte, no Rollins. For a moment, the two women looked like two reunited lovers, who had finally found their way back to one another despite all the trials and tribulations that time brings them. For a moment, the two looked as if they were the ending to a romantic movie that left the audience in tears.

Yet, the longer Alison's icy blue eyes stared into Emily's warm chocolate brown, she knew that Emily Fields was anything but ordinary. And especially after this moment, she knew that she would love her until the last breath left her cold, and dying body. Slowly, she leans forward, her lips just mere centimeters away from Emily's when Jordan speaks out again.

"Okay, Alison. I finished your release forms but there are some conditions to your..." Jordan trails off, clicking her pen as she watches as the two women scramble apart from one another. However, despite the distance between them, and the heaving for breaths, Jordan can't help but notice the two have their pinkies linked around one another. "Sorry." She blushes.

"It's okay. You said there were conditions. I don't remember agreeing to that with the president," Emily grumbles, with a wrinkle of her brow and Alison can't help but share a glance of confusion with her savior.

"Maybe not. But, these are his orders and in order for Alison to be released, she has to agree with them," Jordan states, flipping through the file as her eyes scan the scribbles that appear before her. Shaking her head softly, Emily takes a long step towards the nurse, her eyes pushing for something that just missed Alison's ears. However, when Jordan's mouth opens to say something, Alison steps forward confidentially, something that the two of them haven't seen in so long.

"Whatever it is, I agree. Stop Emily," Alison scolds, putting her hand in the swimmer's shoulder and gently pushing her back a step. When Emily cuts her a glare, Alison only stares onward, "what do I have to do?"

"Mary Drake is your care taker." Jordan explains, her finger following along with what was written in her file. Alison almost immediately stiffens, however, her reaction is an understatement, compared to Emily who charges towards Jordan, going nearly nose to nose with the nurse.

"No way in hell am I letting that happen!" Emily yells, her nostrils flaring in frustration.

"Emily!" Alison scolds almost immediately. However, Emily slams her purse down on the bed, and turns back to the blonde and that is the first time that Alison ever truly sees how broken and disheveled Emily Fields truly is. The tears are burning deep in her eyes, and Alison wonders if those tear stains on her cheeks will expose as much of Emily's soul as her own do.

"What?! I finally get you back and I'm just supposed to trust you with your long lost aunt that you have heard nothing about! Who has the same face as your mother! Who suspiciously shows up at the very same time Rollins does and just so happens to be Charlottes real mother?! You don't know if she's normal or if she's a monster. And I'm not doing this again. I'm not losing you again! No way in hell, Alison!" Emily's voice cracks, a cry escaping from the back of her throat and it takes everything within Alison to not break down and cry with her. Instead, however, her jaw locks tight, and she gently cups Emily's cheek in her hand.

"Emily, nobody is doing this to hurt Alison, or you, or whatever this is," Jordan references between the two of them awkwardly before smiling, "But at Welby, we have protocols. And one of them is that a released patient, ill or not, must remain with a family member for one hundred and twenty days. Alison's brother is doing mission work in Ethiopia. Both her mother and her sister have passed. And to be frank, her father is an ass. Mary Drake is all that she has right now. She agreed to live with Alison." Emily's lips are quivering and Alison knows that she is biting the inside of her jaw so hard to keep the cries within her. Shushing her softly, Alison places a chaste kiss one cheek, then the other, before she places a kiss upon her nose.

"I'll be okay, Em. You'll protect me. Trust me," She whispers, and Emily only nods with a sniffle before Alison turns her attention back to her nurse, "I agree to allow Mary to be my caretaker. Now, what's the other condition? And it better not be something like sell my left lung or that I'll donate my money back to this hell hole." Alison grumbles with a roll of her eyes and Jordan laughs, handing Alison the clipboard with a pen for her signature.

"I just need your information to make you an appointment." Jordan states, as she takes the chart back from her patient. However, Alison quizzically looks between Jordan and Emily, who despite her fresh tears, has came to stand beside of the blonde.

"An appointment? But, I thought I wasn't sick?" Alison inquires and Jordan only laughs, continuing to review the chart.

"Not for you. For the baby." Jordan explains so simply that it must have been ridiculous that Alison even missed it to begin with. However, there came a gasp out of Alison's mouth and Emily swears that her heart is in her throat.

"Excuse me?" Alison chokes.

"I have to make you an appointment at an actual clinic to check on your baby since we can no longer monitor you here. Since you're nearly about three months pregnant, these visits should come more often." Jordan explains, looking from the chart to Alison's stomach, which doesn't look any different than normal. Snorting softly, Alison's hand immediately goes to her stomach and she takes a step back.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not pregnant. You must have me mistaken with someone else. If I was pregnant, I think I would be the first to know. I would know that I'm growing a fetus inside of me!" Alison struggles for a breath and suddenly, as if all the air is knocked out of her, Jordan nearly drops the files in the floor entirely.

"Oh my God. You didn't know?" Jordan stares at the blonde who is struggling to breathe with wide eyes and Emily manages to step up, standing between the two of them.

"Jordan, are you serious? Alison's pregnant? And it's Rollins?" Emily asks in almost a whisper but Jordan only shakes her head, holding tightly to the file.

"No. It's yours." Jordan whispers.

"Okay. Stop! Everybody just shut up for a goddamn second! So, you're telling me that I'm almost out of my first trimester of pregnancy, and it's Emily's baby?!" Alison practically screams with a crack in her voice, her hand still clutching desperately at her stomach. Emily's eyes burn with tears as she looks at the blonde, taking a soft step towards her, her hand reaching out for hers.

"It is written in your chart here that the two of you agreed to the procedure. It was experimental, it took four of Emily's eggs and certain chromosomes were placed in it to make her egg as close scientifically to sperm as it can get, and they were placed inside of you. You took to the procedure almost immediately. I'm just...I honestly thought that you knew Alison. I'm so sorry." Jordan whispers, her voice aching with guilt. There seems to be some disbelief still radiating within Alison, however, as she looks down at her stomach and then up at Emily.

"I'm...I'm pregnant?" Alison cries softly. In the sound of hushed cries and unbelievable surprise, Jordan digs within the file before she hands a tiny, black and white, square photo between the two women.

"Here's the sonogram if you would like to see," Jordan offers. Shaking, Alison takes the photo in her hands as she stares down at it. In the sea of black and grey, there is a very tiny blob. It probably couldn't have been bigger than a piece of fruit, but Alison could clearly make out a head and a tiny body. Choking on her cry, she looks up at Emily who stares down at the picture between them.

"Oh my God. Emily, look. I...I don't know... How are we supposed to..." Alison cries, the panic evident in her voice. However, the next move completely just shakes her to the core. Instead of the sobbing, or the anger that one would expect from someone like Emily, the swimmer gently placed both of her hands on Alison's stomach, her thumbs gently brushing a pattern into the fabric.

"It's our baby." Emily smiles, teary eyed at Alison. She leans forward, her lips nearly touching Alison's when both of their phones vibrate at the exact same time. With a deep sigh, Alison gently pulls out her phone and stares down at the message and suddenly a whole new onset of tears begin.

 **Congratulations, bitches. If you can't parent baby Emison, I'll be glad to adopt. You can thank me later. ;)**

 **A.D**

What in the hell were they going to do?


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: I loved the responses that this story got! Please continue with your thoughts and opinions and even some story ideas because they make this story thrive! Please enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

The car ride home had been filled with nothing but the most absolute silence that either of the girls have ever experienced. It was supposed to be something short of just magical- something about the two of them being reunited, about holding hands over the console, and sharing smiles about how much Rosewood hasn't changed while Alison has been away in Radley. It was supposed to be stolen kisses, sharing secrets, a welcome home dinner, and Emily endlessly apologizing for not coming to her rescue sooner. Except this time, however, there is a deafening silence as Alison's eyes count the trees that pass them by, and Emily's eyes are too focused on the road, her hands perfectly latched onto the steering wheel.

Everything seemed so different now-so very life changingly different. This time, it wasn't just Alison and Emily driving home from Welby, to a welcome home party with the girls in the dining room, with balloons and Pepe running to the front door to give them giant licks. This time, it's Alison and Emily coming home to a _quiet_ house, with a fetus growing inside of Alison. A fetus that belongs to Emily; a fetus that was made from the eggs that A.D. managed to steal from the bank. This time, the two of them are coming home as prospective parents, with a threatening stalker following the two of them around, and a new life that they are responsible for for the next eighteen years.

Every now and then, Alison can feel Emily's eyes drifting from the road to her face, and she almost forgets to keep breathing. She can feel those dark brown eyes drifting from the angles of her face, to her stomach, in which her hand has never quite left. And even though this is everything that she ever wanted in her life, she can't seem to swallow the lump in her throat, or blink away the blinding tears in her eyes.

Sh _e_ 's having _Emily's_ baby.

But, it was nothing like she had ever imagined it to be. There wasn't a wedding; no late night talks, no fertility treatments, and endless appointments with the doctor, until one month her period was finally late. There was no waiting for the strip to turn pink, holding their breaths as two lines appeared and holding each other so tightly that they nearly burst. This wasn't a planned pregnancy- but rather one that A.D. had chose to instill upon them.

And Alison knows that she should be excited- because, after all, this is a _baby_. _Her_ baby- her baby with _Emily_ -the girl that she has loved since she was a child. Yet, the fear of everything rushes through her in a way that she could never imagine. The person who was responsible for her sister's death- the same person who had targeted not only herself, but her friends, had somehow managed to steal Emily's donated eggs-the same ones that Emily had needed for financial reasons, and placed them inside of her. The person who had single handedly made it possible for her psychotic dead husband to lock her away in Welby had impregnated her with a baby that he, or she, had planned to steal as their own.

As the car pulls into the driveway, the blonde's eyes study Emily's stern expression, her tight lips never wavering- not even when an overly excited Pepe rushes to the door, his tail wagging, and his tongue practically slapping him in the head. She waits for Emily to say something, say _anything_ , but the dark haired swimmer just stares at the DiLaurentis house, her eyes slightly darkened than the way that she had looked at her before. Sighing in discontentment, Alison reaches for the door handle when Emily's unusually sharp voice calls out.

"Don't." It's an order, rather than a question. The blonde's head snaps up quizzically, because the tone was just so... _not_ Emily. With a heavy sigh, the swimmer looks over at Alison, before a tiny, almost missable, smile begins to play upon her lips. Instead of saying anything, however, Emily opens her own door and stands. Quickly petting Pepe, Alison watches as she rounds the corner of the car and slowly opens Alison's door. And when icy blue eyes meet those dark brown, Alison almost forgets how to breathe for a moment.

"You know, I'm not disabled, right?" qips Alison, and Emily just smiles at her, leaning against the door lazily. It's a moment, albeit, a small one, where the two of them, just for a second, feel as if everything may just be okay after all. Emily extends outward her hand, allowing Alison's petite to feel her own, and slowly their fingers intertwine.

"Yeah, but that's my baby in there and I can't have anything happening to my baby," Emily replies, a fake stern expression playing upon her face. Alison chuckles warmly as she is slowly pulled to her feet, and a warm flutter appears in the pit of her stomach.

"Your baby, huh? Let's see if I recall the facts correctly," Alison bemuses with a wrinkle of her nose, "at some point, A.D. thought it would be cool to have an offspring and well, you had already donated your eggs for some money, so he or she thought she would just steal them. Because human eggs are expensive these days on the black market anyways." At this, Emily chuckles, "so, A.D. decided to take those eggs to the best hospital around, who just so happened to be playing with the concept of having female eggs mimic the same characteristics as sperm. Albeit, it's unknown, but apparently is ground breaking achievements in the medical field. So, he, or she, takes these eggs and puts them inside of me and they just so happen to impregnate me. Because I was incapacitated thanks to my psychotic obsessive husband, and really, who would be a better subject? So, really, you already signed your rights away to these eggs and this baby has DiLaurentis blood running through its veins, so isn't it _my_ baby?" She's joking, and Emily knows this, but for a brief moment, the air is knocked out of her.

For a moment, the whole idea that her baby is growing inside of Alison, but she will have nothing to do with it, leaves her world spinning. She would have to watch this child grow up and know her as the cool Aunt; a child with her characteristics, but Alison's stunning personality would call someone else Father, and she would be left with birthdays and Christmas presents that Alison specifically requested. She would miss the child with her eyes and smile, first steps, first words, first _everything_. And in that second, Emily realizes just how _badly_ she wants this baby with Alison. When a muffled sound echoes in the back of her throat, Alison's eyes flicker upon the frown and disappointment that paints the girl's face before her.

"Em, I was just…"

"Well, technically...yes. I did sign my rights away to the bank when I donated my eggs. I thought they were going to help a couple have a baby, and I just needed the extra cash. I didn't know that they would be responsible for… Anyways, I guess… I just… I thought that you and I would… nevermind, I was stupid." rambles Emily, fresh tears pricking within her eyes. It is then, and only then, that Alison lunges forward, grabbing the woman's free hand and quickly placing it on her stomach.

"No. I mean, yeah, this baby, it's… it's my baby. But it's also your baby. And I don't…" Alison chokes on a cry, biting her bottom lip as she lets out a shaky sigh, "I don't know what to do. I don't know how to do _this_. I wasn't expecting to be pregnant, and I certainly wasn't expecting to be pregnant with a baby that A.D. was responsible for. My family is a piece of shit, my mother was a bitch, my sister was actually once my brother and she tried to kill me and all of my friends. I'm probably going to be the worst parent on the face of the earth. I don't know to do _any_ of this. But I… I wouldn't want to try to figure it out with anyone else." Alison sniffles. Slowly, and very unsurely, Emily's large palm expands over Alison's stomach, her thumb gently brushing gentle strokes into her skin. Her teary eyes meet with those striking blue and the blonde can't stop the smile from appearing upon her face.

"Really? I can be the baby's…"

"Mama?" The word feels thick on Alison's tongue and it tumbles out with a laugh. But as one second passes, followed by another, the word hangs in the air between the two of them so simply as if it was ridiculous that Emily Fields could ever be called anything else. Sighing in contentment, Alison's free hand gently rests upon Emily's, as she too, begins to trace the gentle pattern into her stomach. "Emily, I don't think our baby could ask for a better Mama than you."

"So, this is real? Because of this seems so… bizarre. A.D. took my eggs, and placed a form of them inside of you and now we are having a baby and that's just… supposed to be _okay_? The two of us having a baby?"

"Well, no. Probably not. I'm going to have awful morning sickness; I'm going to turn into a beached whale, none of my clothes are going to fit, I'm going to be a bitch. And I'm going to push a baby out of a very tiny hole and it's probably going to be carbon copy of you, even though I've done all of the work. And we'll have a constant worry for the next forty years of our life. And none of that is including all of the shit that A.D. is going to put us through. So, no, it probably isn't supposed to be _okay_. But as far as I'm concerned, this Mommy is going to do everything that she can to make sure that our baby is okay, happy and healthy. And that's enough for me. I _want_ this baby, Em," Alison beams and Emily just smiles back at her, looking at her in a way that only Emily Fields can.

This look is different than the way that Emily looked at her the day that she kissed her in the library. It's different than the look she shared with her after she returned and Emily held her so tight that Alison wondered how she ever survived without it. It's different than the way that Emily's eyes stared into hers when she was moaning her name all night as the two tumbled in the sheets.

The way that Emily is looking at Alison right now is like she's her happily ever after- like the two of them have defeated the big bad villain and are driving off into sunset together. It is almost as if she completes her, as if she has given her something that she never knew that she was missing.

Emily Fields is looking at Alison DiLaurentis like she's her _home_ and Alison swears that she can't breathe. She doesn't know how long she has been _waiting_ for someone to look at her like that, but when Emily's eyelashes flutter, she knows that she can't ever live without it.

"That's our baby, Alison," Emily whispers through teary eyes before she looks down at Alison's rather flat stomach, "Hi, Baby DiLaurentis. I can't wait to see you." she whispers, her thumb gently stopping as a cry hiccups in the back of her throat. The way that Emily is already looking at their baby is the way that Alison had always dreamed that her parents would look at her. Rather than the disgusting glances, and sharp stares, Emily's eyes are so full of love and affection that when the thought fills her head, Alison doesn't understand how she's never thought of it before now. It had been so _simple_ , and so _obvious_ , and if she was being honest with herself, everything that she had ever dreamed about.

"Fields."

"What?"

"Baby _Fields_." And before Alison knows it, Emily's arms are around her and she's holding her so tightly that everything just manages to fall into place. Emily's arms are wrapped protectively around her back, her face buried in the crook of her neck, and when her warm breath dances just as Alison's pulse point- the warmth in her stomach manages to radiate throughout her entire body. Slowly, Emily pulls away as her nose rests against Alison's, the smile so brilliant and bright that it would put the nearest stars to shame. Slowly, she leans forward, their lips just centimeters from each other as their warm breaths dance against one another.

"Alison, I lo-"

"SURPRISE!" Suddenly, the voice of Spencer and Aria erupt from the front porch and the two women are sent tumbling backwards from one another- quickly breaking their hand contact. A warm blush curls within Emily's cheeks as she looks down at the ground before watching as their friends tumble down the stairs.

"It's so good to see you, Ali." It's Aria who hugs her first, her tiny arms gently wrapping around the taller girl. Alison hums happily, her chin resting upon her head as she takes the loving gesture warmly, swaying her side to side. For a moment, she could not help but reflect back to all those years in school together when the friends were reunited after a long break; hugging Aria so tightly now, it was almost like coming home again- but with a different purpose.

"You know, five years ago, I would have never admitted this out loud, but, it's really good to see you, Pipsqueak." Alison exclaims, stepping back as she studies Aria's face. In those familiar dark brown swirls, she can see the guilt that taints the swirls as a prickle of tears fill within them. Yet, overall, the eyes were filled with the utmost happiness, and _relief_ , and Alison swears that she can't remember the last time someone was actually _relieved_ to see her like that.

"Alison DiLaurentis in the living!" Spencer's dominant voice booms from beside of the shorter girl and Alison chuckles, turning to her brunette friend. At first, Spencer's face is solemn with her arms over her chest, and once Alison arches an eyebrow, a busting smile appears onto her face, "And I'd never thought I'd ever say this, but it's so fucking good to see you, Alison." And before Alison has time to register what she said, Spencer's arms are tightly around her and she's… _sniffling_ into her neck. Bemused, Alison looks over at Emily who simply shrugs her shoulders as Alison gently rubs her back, "I'm so fucking sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Hey, Spencer. Spence, look at me." Alison directly takes Spencer's face into her hands, icy eyes staring into Spencer's tainted chocolate, " _none_ of this was your fault, okay? _Archer_ did this. A.D. did this. You… you didn't do anything. You did what you had to do to save Hanna." Alison's voice is stern, much like the times that they were teenagers and the girls had gotten themselves in some kind of trouble, much like when she is instructing a group of teenagers that are more concerned with what they are wearing to the Friday night football game than what Charles Dickens had to say about Great Expectations.

"Yeah, but at what cost? Your life?" Spencer states with another sniffle, seeming so guilty of her actions. Alison simply sighs, allowing her thumb to brush away her friend's tears before she shakes her head, a complacent smile upon her face.

"Possibly. But I'm here. And I'm okay. In fact, I'm _more_ than okay." Alison smiles, sharing a look with Emily and she can't help but allow the blush to curl within her cheeks. Ducking her head down, Alison giggles at the swimmer before she releases Spencer's face. The brunette wipes the tears from her eyes before she lets out a laugh.

"Yeah, but I could really murder you for allowing yourself to get into this position. What in the _hell_ were you actually thinking?" Spencer teases, squaring her hands onto the blonde's shoulders as she pushes her gently. Alison, unprepared for the jostle, tumbles backwards just slightly on her heels, but Emily's arms are quickly around her, catching her. Catching her breath in a chuckling gasp, Alison allows Emily to lift her back onto her feet, her arm wrapped tightly around her from behind.

"Hey! Stop it!" Emily scolds quickly, her voice taking a tone that shocks all three of the girls. Glancing over her shoulder, Alison notices as Emily's chest is huffed, and her jaw is locked tightly, and she looks as if she is ready to snap someone's neck literally in half. There is an anger that flickers inside of her eyes that almost shakes Alison to the core of everything that she has ever known. Biting her bottom lip softly, the blonde shakes her head as she glares at her.

"Emily, _don't_." Alison whispers under her breath.

"Em, relax! I was just playing. It's not like I even hurt her. I'm harmless!" Spencer defends herself, holding up her hands in defense. Aria looks between the three girls in such bewilderment before she steps slightly in front of Spencer to defend her from the rage of the swimmer. Instantly, Alison grasps at Emily's hand, giving it a very, _very_ hard squeeze until she catches her eyes.

"I'm _okay_. It's fine."

"I don't care if she's _fine_. You can't just push her around and throw her around like she's some kind of damn doll, Spencer. Alison's a person! And she really cannot be hurt right now, you have to be _careful_ with her!" Emily scolds, her nostrils flaring in frustration as she continues to glare at Spencer in the same way that Spencer used to glare at Paige. Swallowing hard, Alison squeezes Emily's hand again, catching her eyes for just a brief moment.

"I'm not a _doll_ , Emily. I'm not breakable! And you better stop fucking treating me like one!" Alison exclaims loudly, pulling away from the swimmer. Emily shakes her head at the notion, stepping closer to her blonde, grasping for her free hand once again. There's a moment between the two of them, albeit brief, that if Spencer and Aria had been more observant, they would have noticed the secret glances that the two were sharing. Leaning forward, Emily's arm gently glides up and down the small of her back as she chews on the inside of her jaw in such frustration, a brief onset of tears prickling hot within her tears.

"No, you're not _breakable_. But you're… you're…" Emily stutters, glancing down at Alison's stomach in secrecy. This moment, however, is one that the two girls notice; perking up in interest, Aria and Spencer step forward with wrinkles of confusion written upon their faces.

"But, you're what?" Spencer asks, arching her eyebrow in confusion. Alison looks at Emily with a furrowed brow, her nostrils flaring in frustration before Spencer clears her throat, staring at the two of them unwavering. It was very, very, rare in Alison DiLaurentis's life that she feels so tiny, after all, she had been in charge of a very intricate lying friends. Yet, in this moment, with Spencer's eyes upon her so questioningly, she can't help but feel so tiny.

"Nothing. I'm nothing," Alison is quick to respond, but her voice wavers just a bit. It is something that does not go unnoticed by Aria, who steps forward, gently placing her hand on Alison's forearm in comfort. The two girls, once ostracized by their friends for their choices, share a tender moment in which they speak no words, but rather speak words of their hearts.

"Alison, what's wrong? You _know_ that you can talk to us," Aria whispers affectionately, and for moment, Alison feels like this situation is not necessarily so bad after all. For a moment, she doesn't necessarily feel like A.D. is out to get them, or that her sister was pushed out of a balcony of a church after holding all of them ransom for _days_. For a moment, Alison cannot help but feel so safe, with Aria's tiny hand upon her forearm, and her loving eyes staring into her own; for a moment, Alison feels like she may just be okay after all. But, ultimately, she knows that she _isn't_ , and she knows that she won't be for a very long time because of this.

"I think we need to tell them, Ali. They can help us," Emily whispers and Alison just chuckles so coldly that everyone, including herself, reverts back to her teenage self in charge of Rosewood High School. Instead of agreeing with her, however, Alison stares at Emily with so much frustration and anger within her eyes.

"Really, Emily? Because you know what I think?! I think that my brother, who turned out to be my sister, should not have locked all of you away in a Dollhouse and tortured your lives because of the crap that my mother and father did to her! I think that my sister should not have been pushed out of a church tower and murdered by someone before I ever got any answers from her! And I really think that I should not have married a psychotic man, who was obsessed with Charlotte, and locked me away in an insane asylum! But you know what?! Here we are! We don't always get what we want, now do we?!" snaps Alison, her voice bellowing in frustration and Emily nearly withdraws at the venom in her voice. It's Spencer this time, however, that steps forward, shaking her head at the anger at her friend.

"Alison, you know that if you are in trouble, we can get you out. You know that if something is wrong, we can do anything and _everything_ to fix it. You can trust us. We can help you," Spencer states, soothingly but Alison laughs, a sob escaping from the back of her throat.

"You _can't_ get me out of this, Spencer. Nobody can _get_ me out of this. And I don't necessarily think that I am in trouble. But I am in a situation, and while it isn't necessarily a bad thing, it's…" Alison replies, sharing a look with Emily before she reaches for her hand again, intertwining their fingers once again, "it's pretty life changing."

"I'm not following," Spencer exclaims in confusion and Alison lets out a deep sigh, her eyes staying fixated upon Emily's. She knows that saying this is something that will change everything; telling her friends this is something that makes it very, _very real_. Saying it outloud, letting others in on her secret, is something that could target not only Alison and Emily, but their friends, and their baby as well.

"You don't have to if-"

"I'm pregnant." It's quick, and it's very thick as it tumbles out of her mouth. She says it so quickly that it literally takes the air out of both her and Emily, and it causes Aria to tumble backward in surprise. The moment hangs between the four of them as they continue to look around at one another, and Emily's eyes stay fixated onto Alison's stomach, and then on the ground, and waiting for the conversation to continue.

"You're…" Aria's voice trails off in such disbelief, shaking her head just softly enough that her hair begins to shade her face. In the silence, they can hear Spencer swallow deeply, a flare of her nostrils before she speaks.

"You're… you're pregnant? Like, you're serious? Like, you peed on a stick at least forty times because those things are never accurate, and it turned pink, _and_ you can calculate your last cycle accordingly, _serious_?" Spencer questions and Alison nods her head, biting her bottom lip nervously. Spencer lets out a heavy sigh, her hand finding it's way to her nose as she pinches the bridge of it deeply, fluttering her eyes closed, "So, you're pregnant and A.D. still wants to kill us. Cool. Is it Archer's? Of course, it's Archer's, he was your husband. Are you going to keep it? _Shit_ , Ali, what the fuck were you thinking?!" Spencer's voice is an arrangement of anger, confusion, disbelief, and nervousness- all the emotions that Alison found herself experiencing on the car ride over from the hospital.

"Gee, I was thinking that my life was a little boring now that my sister and my husband are dead, so why not just add a baby into the mix, even though I literally know _nothing_ about babies, or how a family is even supposed to work!" Alison snaps loudly, watching as Spencer's face wrinkles in confusion before she rolls her eyes. She hears a soft hum beside of her, and looks at Emily, who studies her with the most loving and affectionate eyes that she has ever seen. Closing her eyes for a moment, she allows herself to simply _breathe_ , before squeezing Emily's hand, a gentle smile playing on the edges of her lips.

"I didn't plan for this baby, but, I'm already almost three full months along and I couldn't… I could have never dreamed like something like _this_ would be possible. To answer your question, yes, I am keeping this baby. Regardless of whatever that means for me financially, or whether you guys still choose to be my friends or not. This baby didn't ask to be made, and I'm not taking it's life from it. I've never had a family, but I'll be damned if I don't give this baby one. And also, _no_ , this baby _isn't_ Archer's." Alison explains, once again sharing a tender gaze with Emily, who looks down at her feet with a shy smile. Gently, Alison's thumb brushes against Emily's fingers, before a laugh escapes from the back of Spencer's throat, causing them to look up at her quizzically.

"Well, if it isn't Archer's, then whose baby are you having? How many people _really_ lined up to have sex with you while you were in Welby? Unless, this happened before you were in Welby, and before you were married. Hell, that would have never stopped you before!" Spencer teases, and it's almost instantaneous at how fast it happens- how Alison opens her mouth to say something, but then Emily's voice is suddenly filling the space between all of them.

"It's mine." Emily proclaims, squaring her shoulders just so as she stands forward, as if placing herself before the firing squad in Alison's honor. She quickly squeezes her hand, but Emily never wavers in the stare that she is sharing with Spencer, whose mouth is slightly ajar at the declaration- the declaration of something that seemed so impossible.

"Excuse me?" Spencer questions.

"What? That… that can't be," It's Aria who stutters through her own confusion, wrinkling her brow just so as she looks between her two best friends. This time, however, it is Alison who squeezes Emily's hand, and it is Alison who, with a very deep breath, steps forward towards her friends.

"I'm pregnant and the baby… _is_ _Emily's_. Well, actually, the baby is _mine and Emily's_. Because A.D. stole Emily's eggs, I guess…. You know, the long story short, in approximately six months, there will be a baby DiLaurentis-Fields crawling around." Alison briefly explains, and it's Aria who catches them all of guard when she places her hand on Alison's stomach, looking up at them.

"You guys are having a _baby_ , that's _amazing_." Aria smiles bashfully, and Alison nods her head, the familiar warm smile upon her lips. Softly, she places her hand on top of Aria's, before she wraps her up in a tight hug. The two women had been so vaguely different in their lives- Aria had been the artist, Alison had always been the model; Aria always had thoughts and emotions, and Alison lived in the moment. But right here, right now, Aria Montgomery is suddenly the very best friend- the very best _everything_ that Alison needed.

"Emily, how could you let this happen?" Spencer seethes, standing next to the swimmer who shakes her head with a chuckle. The tears are blinding in Emily's eyes as she steps towards Spencer directly, the courage rushing through her veins; and it was in that moment that Spencer truly realized how different the girl had become since their drunken night after her father's funeral, how different she was from the girl who allowed Paige to drown her in high school.

"I didn't _let_ this happen. But this is _my_ baby. And contrary to your beliefs, I don't quit things. I'm not quitting Alison, and like hell, am I quitting on my baby just because you don't agree with this," Emily snaps, the anger rushing through her so much that her fists tighten by her side, "some of us didn't grow up with the perfect _**Hastings**_ family. But unlike your father, I'm not going to get a DiLaurentis pregnant and just bounce. I love that baby, and I love…"

"Yeah, but do you know what this means?!" Spencer yells as she looks between her friends, a fresh onset of tears in her eyes, "You've ruined your lives! And ours! And… and that kid's life!" She gestures towards Alison's stomach, "it's never going to be over. You're having A.D's. _child_ , Alison! You might as well hand all of our lives over to them!" Deciding that she has had enough, Alison launches forward just slightly with a bitter laugh.

"This baby is _Emily's_. It's not some monster to be trained!" Alison screams, but Spencer doesn't seem to be backing down- not even when Emily's hand protectively went over her stomach, and stepped in front of her just slightly.

"Yeah, well, have you told A.D. that?" At that very moment, all four of their phones vibrated at the same time and Spencer rolls her eyes, "Guess not." Pulling out their phones reluctantly, they all stare down at the picture of a pink bassinet, filled with decapitated stuffed animals and an elephant blanket.

 _ **They say it's nurture over nature. I'll guess we'll find out in six months. Thanks for the baby, Alison! - A.D.**_

"Fuck." Breathlessly, Emily looks at Alison with defeat written upon her face, and suddenly, the both know that they are absolutely in for the fight of their, and their baby's, lives.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Alison knew absolutely _**nothing**_ about babies, or even pregnancy for that matter. To suggest that she knew _anything_ about the milestones that she is supposed to be reaching, or how much the fetus is supposed to be growing each and every day, is nearly laughable. There is an app on her phone that compares her baby to a piece of fruit or vegetable every week, but honestly, she doesn't quite understand it. How can something the size of a piece of fruit inevitably become the human being that she is legally responsible for until they reach adulthood? How can something so tiny be carrying the genes of a Queen Bee and her most dedicated follower? She doesn't know _anything_ about this baby, or this pregnancy- ranging from the rounds of sickness that rush over her all day (so much for morning sickness), to the types of clothes that she should be buying for herself and the baby (because the kid can't just always wear diapers, right?) In a rare instance in her life, Alison finds herself longing for her mother and her presence. Jessica had been through pregnancies twice and delivered healthy and arguably normal children- she would have known exactly what to do in this circumstance. She would have known how to console her on those days when she didn't think that her stomach would ever stop heaving, or when she questionably looked at infant items, not knowing what she needed. Alison knew that Jessica did not always know what to do with _her_ as a child, but surely she would have been supportive of her grandchild. After all, Jessica had always been fond of Emily, and often told Alison how much she wished that they could have made it work.

However, Alison is not so sure how she would have felt about the two women bringing a new life into this world, especially a new life that would share the same genes as her.

Just like Alison is not so sure how _Mary Drake_ feels about taking care of a pregnant niece. A niece that is carrying the baby of her childhood sweetheart, who just so happens to be a female. Mary had not necessarily commented on Alison's pregnancy, or her relationship with Emily for that matter. But Alison can't help but muse that it was Mary's _daughter_ who tried to kill them all at one point- therefore, she truly could not judge her relationship with Emily Fields.

It has nearly been over a month since she was finally released from Welby and fully discovered why her period had been so late and her emotions had been so out of whack. It had been a month since her, along with Emily, stood in the front yard of her childhood home and told their very _best_ friends that they were having a baby together through the help of Uber A. It had been a month since everything Alison DiLaurentis knew was suddenly all wrong, and her whole world turned on a dime. It had been a month since everything that had once been about her was suddenly about the _innocent child_ that is growing inside of her. In that month, she spoke to Mary when conversation was forced- typically when Mary is offering her something to drink, or some comfort after Alison has emptied the contents of her stomach into the nearest toilet.

In that month, Emily had been over and involved in this pregnancy and their relationship as much as possible- but between swimming practices and meets, and now heading to State (really, Alison couldn't be more _thrilled_ that she got the job), they time they actually had together seemed to be dwindling. Spencer refused to answer her phone calls- not that it surprised Alison all that much. Spencer had always been a very Type A personality, and when something threw a wrench in her plan, she would cut all ties. She knows eventually the Hastings girl will come around- after all, this baby is just as much a part of her as it is Alison and Emily. Hanna was far too busy in New York to warrant a trip to Rosewood to see her friend- something about releasing a clothing line and Caleb's new job. Alison's happy for her, _honestly_. Aria had come over as often as she could when Alison called- they binge watched old movies as Aria wrote for her book and drank wine, while Alison went through boxes of old stuff Jessica had kept and sipped on some ginger ale (not that she was buying that it was good for an upset stomach).

Most of this week however, it had simply been her and the baby. Aria was busy at work, Emily was away on a meet trip (and Mary hadn't been so keen on the idea of having Emily move into the house so they were currently looking for a place _together_ ), and no A.D. Everything had been abnormally _quiet_ for the past few days.

Just Alison and Baby _DiLaurentis-_ _ **Fields**_

She was sitting in the parlor, one hand on her slightly protruding stomach, the other flipping through photo albums from her childhood. This specific album had been from her third birthday party and she cannot help but notice just how happy her parents and Jason looked at the occasion. There were a variety of photos of Kenneth with his arms around Jessica from behind, a beaming smile upon their faces as they watched their children. There were photos of Jason playing with Alison, and what looked to be like a young Melissa. Alison's hair was so golden and her eyes so blue as she stood in front of her giant birthday cake, beaming ear to ear waiting to blow out her candles. Gently, Alison's thumb glides over her stomach as the tears brim within her eyes delicately- she wonders what she wished for during that birthday. She wonders if she wished that her family would stay that happy, that innocent, that in love with one another. She doesn't know when it stopped- when her father began to look at her mother with disgust, when Jason excluded himself from the family, when she was left with shinning blue eyes and a shamble for a family.

"I won't let this happen to you," Alison finds herself whispering as she gently strokes a pattern into her stomach, a single tear sliding down her face. "I know that I don't know how to do this mother thing and I haven't always had the best example of what a family is supposed to be like. But I promise you right now that I will _always_ look at you like you hung the moon and the stars in the sky. I promise I will _always_ love you and I will always surround you with people who love and adore you just as much as I do. I promise that I will _always_ try to make things better for you and give you the very best things in life. I promise to give you a family, even if I have to construct it myself. I promise that you will _always_ be the very best thing that happened to me and I will _always_ , **always** love your Mama for giving you to me." Her voice is trembling as she turns the page to find a photo of herself and Emily, both with icing covering their faces, grinning so brightly as if nothing bad in the world could ever touch them. Laughing softly, her free thumb strokes Emily's face, the love bursting in her chest.

"Oh, Alison dear," Mary Drake's voice catches her off guard and Alison jumps, sending the photo album tumbling onto the floor. Quickly, Alison's hand went over her stomach for protection as her shoulders tensed up at the sudden noise. Biting her bottom lip at her niece's reaction, Mary only allows a faint smile to echo upon her lips as she bends down to pick up the album, "oh, I'm sorry, I didn't meant to scare you."

"Oh you didn't. I mean, you did. But I just… I thought you were… its fine. We're okay," Alison clears her throat, brushing the golden streaks away from her face. The concept is still so weird to her- to refer to herself as _we_ because there is another person inside of her. Mary smiles at her, nodding her head softly as she lies the album on the table beside of Alison. She walks toward their television but stops just short, turning back to face her blonde niece that is nearly the spitting image of her deceased twin.

"I found this old home movie in some of my things this morning. I had completely forgotten that your mother had sent it to me while I was away. I thought… maybe you would want to see it?" Mary holds out the DVD towards Alison whose face immediately lights up at the gesture. Quickly, Alison nods her head, moving forward in her seat and Mary grins with a wink, placing the movie into the player. She makes her way back to the sofa opposite from Alison, sitting down with the remote as her eyes study her niece. The way that Alison's blonde hair shadows her face, the way that her piercing eyes carry so much emotion, it's almost as if she's…

" _Wanna say goodnight to your sister?"_ It's Jessica's voice. Immediately, the tears brim within Alison's eyes as she watches her mother cradling her infant self on the television screen. Jessica has a bright smile upon her face as two blonde haired and curious eyed little boys surround her in the pink blanket. She watches as her mother's thumb gently brushes over the blonde tuff of hair that is sticking out from under the blanket that she is wrapped up in and Alison can't control the cry that is in the back of her throat, not recalling the last time that her mother had touched her so gently. Curiously, a little boy kisses Alison on the head before giggling, a childlike wonder filling his face as his mother watches him with a smile.

" _What a good big boy you are_ ," Jessica beams at her son, gently caressing his chubby face. The boy only laughs before he runs off with his brother, Alison know recognizes as Charles, towards the apples. Softly, she strokes her baby bump as the camera focuses in on Jessica and baby Alison as her mother gently kisses her forehead, taking a moment to gently run her nose along Alison's soft baby like skin.

"I remember you at this age. Jessica was _so_ proud to finally have a daughter. Little did she know that my little Charles would also give her a daughter," Mary points out as the screen goes black for a moment before it cuts to different footage. This time, Jessica is in Alison's room, which is set up like a nursery, and in a rocking chair, she cradles Alison.

" _Shh, Daddy. Alison's trying to go to sleep."_ Jessica scolds Kenneth who is behind the camera. Nearly as soon as she says that, however, there is a huge ruckus downstairs and the sounds of boys screaming in laughter echo up the stairs.

" _She'll never fall asleep with our boys making all that noise."_ Kenneth groans as Alison whimpers, stretching her tiny fist out from under the blanket. There is a hiccup in her breath and the baby begins to cry, much to her father's frustration. Jessica, however, remains calm, gently tracing her daughter's round face with her thumb, smiling down at her.

" _Oh yes she will. Every mother knows exactly what their child needs. Mommy's got you, Alison. Always and forever."_ Jessica whispers, slowly rocking in the chair and then, a sense of calm rushes over Alison and her own baby as her mother's voice fills the room.

" _Lullaby, and goodnight, in the skies stars are bright. May the moon, silvery beams, bring you with dreams. Close your eyes, now and rest, may these hours be blessed. Till the sky's bright with dawn, when you wake with a yawn. Lullaby, and goodnight, you are mother's delight. I will protect you from harm, and you'll wake in my arms. Sleepyhead, close your eyes, for I'm right beside of you. Guardian angels are near, so sleep without fear. Lullaby, and goodnight, with roses bedight. Lillies o'er head, lay thee down in thy bed. Lullaby, and goodnight, you are mother's delight. I'll protect you from harm, and you'll wake in my arms."_ Jessica's sweet voice echoes throughout the house as the camera pans in on a sleeping Alison's tiny little face. Without realizing it, Alison lets out a choking cry that immediately causes Mary to stop the video. Suddenly, Alison is on her feet, her hand on her stomach as the tears are blinding her vision, but it does not go without notice, that even in her breakdown, she gently traces patterns into her stomach.

"Alison, dear…" Mary calls out, standing to face her niece but Alison shakes her head, stepping back dramatically.

"I don't know what I'm doing. She should be _here_. I know she wasn't mother of the year and she didn't always give a damn about what I was getting myself into, or even tried to get to know me. But you know what she did? She _protected_ me and she _loved_ me even when I didn't always understand that, which was often. And now I'm pregnant and I don't know how to do _any_ of this. I don't know how to be a mother. I don't know when my child needs something. I don't need anything," Alison hiccups with a cry and Mary smiles out softly, leaning back onto the sofa, her arms gently crossing over her chest.

"Well, nobody knows what they're doing, dear." Mary states and Alison looks at her quizzically, "it's the truth. It's all just trial and error. If the kid is wet, you change it. If its tummy is empty, you feed it. If it needs to be loved, you love it. It's not very hard. Your mother did it with two kids and a very unsupportive husband at times. You have Emily, and just one baby. You survived so much, Ali. You will survive motherhood. So will your baby."

"Yeah and what would you know about motherhood?" Alison chokes out bitterly and Mary's face falls briefly, the pain of Charlotte's life clearly etched upon the lines on her face. Instantly, Alison regrets her words, biting her bottom lip as she looks down at her stomach, a heavy breath escaping from her lips.

"More than you could ever _understand_ , Alison. Besides, I'm here with you right now, aren't I? You and Emily are going to be wonderful parents. I don't always understand many things and I suck at love- I guess it's a flaw that your mother and I had in common. But I know that the girl loves you and you love her too, even if you don't always want to. And love is all you need to raise a baby. I wish that someone could have loved me the way that Emily loves you," Mary smiles sadly, "that's why that, even though that baby is a DiLaurentis, it's still the luckiest kid in the world." Alison studies the statement for a long moment, open her mouth to say something when the doorbell rings interrupting them. Mary smiles, walking forward as she places her hand upon Alison's shoulder, those all too familiar eyes staring into piercing blue. For a moment, it was almost as if Alison had her mother back, yet, before she could truly say anything, Mary was gone. Sighing softly, Alison heads to the door, running a hand through her hair before she opens it with a smile. Dark brown eyes are smiling up at her and Alison can't help but wrinkle her nose with enjoyment at just how short her visitor is.

"Your appointment is at four thirty, right? I tried not to be freakishly early," Aria chuckles, waving around the coffee cup in her hand, "I'm just really excited. I mean this is our first baby and I know that it's your baby. But it's kind of our baby too and it's a big deal and I'm rambling. I'm sorry." The blush appears in her cheeks and Alison laughs, grabbing a jacket from the rack beside of her shutting the door behind them.

"Let's go and see _our_ baby," Alison laughs, walking towards Aria's car. Aria beams with rushing towards the car with a skip in her step and Alison can't help but stop and notice the young girl. She's short and so full of life and enjoyment- their personalities had been so contradicting in school. Aria was the artsy hipster, Alison was the Queen Bee; Aria would rather be behind the camera whereas Alison loved to be in the spotlight, and yet, somehow, Aria is one of the very _true_ friends that Alison ever really had.

"Hey Aria?" Alison states, her brow wrinkled and Aria stops, turning around. Noticing that her friend's face is scrunched up with worriment, Aria immediately lunges forward, extending her hand out toward Alison's stomach.

"Is everything okay? I can get to Rosewood Memorial in point five seconds!"

"Yeah, no. I mean, I'm okay. I just… thank you. I know that you are busy with your book and Ezra and I know that I wasn't always the nicest to you and I know that we've moved past that. But still. You're here and you're helping me, and I know Emily is so grateful that you didn't choose to shut us out when we told you about the baby. I'm freaking out about this whole baby thing because I don't really know how to be a family, but here you are, going with me anyway, despite all the hell that I put you through," Alison mutters, the shakiness in her voice and Aria only smiles, shaking her head softly as she gently puts her hand on the tiny baby bump.

"Ali, are you kidding? You're the _best_ family I've ever had." Smiles Aria and for a brief moment, a small second rather, Alison truly believes that she can _do_ this.

* * *

Alison cannot remember the last time that she felt something as cold as the doctor's office. She's stripped down into this paper thin gown and placed in a room where the walls are this horrible shade of yellow (doesn't yellow hurt babies anyways, Alison muses). She can't for the life of her manage to get comfortable on the elevated bed and she is praying to God that she doesn't have to put her legs in those damn stirrups again- especially since Aria is literally right beside of her. She can't stop staring at the poster on the wall of what the female body does when experiencing childbirth and she doesn't think that she has ever squeezed her vagina so tight in her whole life- including all those bad sex experiences that she had while on vacation with CeeCee.

Nevertheless, there is a verge of excitement that floods through her when the nurse rolls in the ultrasound machine, knowing that she would be able to see her child yet again today. Aria smiles at her, her hand gently stroking Alison's blonde locks as she doctor walks through the door, a chart in her hand. She's a younger woman, with the brightest red hair that Alison thinks that she has ever truly seen and she can't stop the smile from appearing on her face as the woman looks up at her, and those green eyes cut into her.

"Miss DiLaurentis, welcome back. Any new symptoms since your last visit?" Dr. Reynolds asks and Alison shakes her head, biting her bottom lip as she looks from the dramatic poster to the young doctor that takes the stool at the end of the bed.

"Nope. But apparently, my baby is the size of a fruit!" Alison exclaims excitedly and Aria simply laughs at her best friend's excitement. Dr. Reynolds chuckles, turning on the ultrasound machine as she works with the instruments and the gel.

"Oh yeah. Your baby now has full eyelashes, eyebrows, and nails. It's currently forming some hair and your baby can even suck its thumb. We should also be able to hear the heartbeat today," Dr. Reynolds explains and Alison's face lights up at the statement, looking up at Aria who only grins down at her friend.

Suddenly, the door busts open and Emily leans against the doorframe, very disheveled. Her hair is a mess, and her clothes are wrinkled and falling off, she is grasping her keys and phone in one hand, and some kind of track bag in the other. Alison smiles at her, nodding her forehead and Emily lets out a huff of air, the sweat sticking to her face.

"I'm _so_ sorry that I'm late. We literally just got back and I yelled at Paige to take care of the girls because I didn't want to miss this!" Emily smiles, walking over to the other side of Alison, her fingers quickly intertwining through Ali's. The blonde wrinkles her nose softly before she looks back at Dr. Reynolds who only rolls her eyes with a laugh, looking at the three women. She would never truly understand this whole family dynamic, but, they say it takes a village to raise a child and if that's the case then this will be the luckiest baby in the whole world.

"Guys, I can go and give you some…"

"No, Aria. Stay," Emily scolds, "this baby is…" But before she can ever finish her statement, the softest sound of thumping fills the room. Suddenly, Alison's blue eyes dart to the screen where a tiny blob appears, this time looking like a human being. Her mouth moves but no words escape her, instead the tears fall from her eyes. _Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump_ **.** God, that has to be the most **beautiful** sound in the whole world.

"Is that?" Alison asks, looking at her baby who seems to have its thumb in its mouth. Gently, she stretches her free hand out towards the screen, her index finger carefully tracing the shape of the baby. _Thump. Thump. Thump_. Emily's crying, and so is Aria, but all Alison can think of is the fact that all of her life, without even knowing it, she had been waiting for this moment right here, forever.

"That's your baby's heartbeat, Alison. It's strong and healthy. And your baby is measuring just at the average. This baby is _strong_ , and resilient. Would you like to know the sex of your baby?" Dr. Reynolds smiles, moving the instrument around Alison's stomach as the sound continues to echo through the room. Looking between Aria and Emily with tears in her eyes, Alison bites her lip and nods softly, watching as her baby flutters on the screen.

"She's a perfect little girl," Dr. Reynolds smiles and the sound of a cry erupts in the room, but nobody quite knows where it comes from. Instead, Alison's smile widens on her face and Aria looks onward at the screen, watching the baby suck it's thumb, the sound of her heart beat creating the most peaceful sound that any of them have ever truly experienced.

"Girl?" Emily squeaks in surprise and Dr. Reynolds only nods with a smile. Quietly, Alison strokes the screen, a single, lone tear running down her cheek and suddenly, everything is so simple that Alison will never truly understand how she never saw it from the beginning.

"My Estella," She whispers, the tears brimming in her eyes. Without realizing, Emily leans down and softly places a kiss onto Alison's lips. Without even thinking, Alison's hand immediately went to the cheek of the swimmer, pulling her in harder as her heart hammered in her chest. The kiss lasted a moment, but the message behind it, would last for a lifetime.

"I'll be right back with some pictures." Dr. Reynolds states, awkwardly stepping out of the room. But the girls don't notice because Emily is too busy looking at Alison like she was the one who put the stars in the sky and Alison is looking at Emily like she is her _home_. Aria watches her two best friends with the utmost love and happiness in her chest- she had been rooting for the two of them since that night in the library when Emily admitted that she liked Alison as more than just a friend. She had been the one who consoled Emily every time that she broke up with a girl because she wasn't _Alison_ and now here they are, bringing a baby into this world.

"It's a _girl_ ," Alison breathes in a shaky breath, her eyes turning to Aria who smiles, wiping the hair from her face, glancing at Emily with a gentle laugh.

"You know what that means? I can totally paint her nursery. And I can start buying her these little hipster baby clothes. And I can start buying her some books! She's going to love her Aunt Aria! I'm going to be her favorite! I'm going to have to teach her how to like coffee and books without being a total basic bitch!" Aria beams, jumping on her heels and Alison laughs, grasping Aria's hand with a squeeze, so appreciative to her best friend for all of her love and support. Aria had been the one who was there when everyone else wasn't- Aria had been the one to always believe in her and love her, no matter what. She is sure that Spencer would eventually come around, and Hanna may grace them with their presence by the time that the kid is born, but right now, this moment, right here, with the three of them- well that's enough family for Alison.

"When you buy her books, make sure that _Great Expectations_ is first on your list." Alison winks, glancing over at Emily. She never truly thought that there would be a moment where Estella would truly get Pippin in real life, but their story could not be more similar. Emily would always be her Pippin, and Alison would be damned if Estella doesn't get Pippin in the end.

"Really? I was thinking more F. Scott Fitzgerald." Aria teases, with a raise of her eyebrow.

"My daughter is not growing up with Daisy Buchanan as a role model!" Emily scolds loudly, causing all three of them to burst out in laughter. The concept still seemed so weird- Emily and Alison are having a _daughter_. A tiny little girl who is the perfect blend of the two of them, with Emily's complexion and Alison's eyes- Emily's smile and Alison's determination.

A new life.

A new beginning.

Suddenly, however, three phones buzz at exactly the same time and all three of them look at one another, panic echoing onto their face. All three are suddenly digging for their phones and Alison doesn't think that her heart has ever beat faster in her whole life- even counting all those kisses that she has shared with Emily in her past.

"That probably wasn't just a coincidence, right?" Aria sighs, holding her phone in her hand.

"On 3?" Alison's voice shakes as she holds to her stomach, trying to ignore the tears that are burning within her eyes. Why can't she just have _one good thing_ in her life? Why can't she just have a _happy ending_ for once?

"1….2…," Emily's eyes find Alison's icy blue and she reaches down, intertwining her fingers with Alison's on her stomach. Softly her thumb brushes against her stomach, allowing their daughter to know that she is there, "3." She struggles with the number as they all three open their messages.

Suddenly everything they had ever been hoping for is _gone_.

There is no _happy ending_ \- just _tragedy and conflict_.

On their screen, there is a picture of the sonogram, with I'M A GIRL written above the baby, pointing to her clearly obvious gendered parts. The photo is inscribed with a XOXO in the corner before the other message comes through.

 _ **Sugar and spice and everything not so nice. That's what our little girl is made of. Congrats, Bitches! Can't wait to see our girl. – A.D.**_


End file.
